


Venus Spins Backwards and Other Facts to Go With Your Morning Cup

by ghostvinyls (jebbyfish)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, i dont know what im doing LMAOOOO, this should be fun or terrible we will see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 07:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10680555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jebbyfish/pseuds/ghostvinyls
Summary: Pidge liked her job at the cafe. It was in close proximity to the university, her coworkers were great, and the regulars were more entertaining than her physics lecture.But it was just her luck that her comfortable, safe life would be interrupted the day a boy walked in asking for an ambulance before passing out from a-little-bit-more-than-extreme blood loss.She really isn't paid enough for this.(coffee shop AND college au cuz it's the best of both worlds,,)





	Venus Spins Backwards and Other Facts to Go With Your Morning Cup

Pidge wasn’t very fond of the rain.

It was hell to run in, of course, especially when the bus stop was just far enough from her work that by the time she slid into the cafe, she was soaked head to toe and Allura had to scramble for spare clothes for her to wear.

Luckily, Pidge was learning to carry spare clothes in her backpack for rainy days.

Today, however, Pidge was running late.

The cafe bell seemed to mock her as she slid through the front door, her sneakers squeaking loudly against the linoleum floor. Allura looked up at her from the far side of the space, a chair in the middle of being flipped right-side up in her arms. The manager let out a frustrated sigh.

“Again?”

“My alarm didn’t go off. I swear to God.”

“Did you stay up late again last night?” The chair squeaked as Allura placed it down.

“I had a paper due at midnight.”

Another squeak in response.

“Remember to mop once you’ve freshened up,” Allura quipped.

“Actually, about that…” Pidge hesitated, waiting for the older to stop her floor arrangement to stare at her. “I don’t suppose you still have some spare clothes in the back?”

A groan. Not one of anger, as Pidge was expecting, but of bemusement. She could always count on her favorite manager to judge her only minimally.

One new set of (baggy) clothes later, and Pidge was mopping the rain she left behind. It was a Wednesday, and often Wednesdays weren’t busy until it got closer to noon, because on Wednesdays people weren’t so Monday bone tired or walked around wiping clouds from their eyes. Pidge didn’t expect anyone until noon, save for the struggling university student who probably had a similar night to hers, or their favorite patron Shiro, who always had a fresh, interesting story from his days as a cadet to the day he retired to continue his education.

It was nice, morning shift at the Castle of Lions cafe.

“I’m convinced you guys don’t have business,” Shiro said as he walked in, the welcome bell chiming in delight at his entrance. He shot Pidge a smile as she adjusted the blue apron she wore, pointing a bit at his side-shaved hairstyle. She took the cue, smoothing her drying bangs down against her forehead.

“You’re the only reason this Castle stays afloat, Shiro.” Pidge responded as the older stood a ways from the counter, eyes glancing over the menu as if he wasn’t here practically daily and didn’t already memorize their reasonably priced coffee and sweets.

Allura stepped out of the back, hands preoccupied with putting her hair up, offering the regular her classic customer service grin. “Good morning! Care to try a blueberry bear claw? Fresh from the oven.”

“You guys do tongue twisters now?”

“The name’s a work in progress. But I can assure you, divine.”

Shiro let out a snort, glancing over at Pidge. “Second opinion?”

“Uh, general consensus is that bear claws are _pawesome.”_

Allura stiffened at the pun; Shiro was delighted.

He ordered two with his latte.

It was at this point in the morning Allura and Pidge sat with Shiro and bothered him for more military stories; but Allura left to take a call from the second manager and Pidge was left alone sitting with the older.

“How are your classes?”

“I shat out an eight page paper on the environmental impact of depleting bee populations two minutes before deadline last night, how about you?”

“Well, I have a bio lecture in an hour.”

“Ah, bio. Need any help?”

“If I do, you’ll be the first person I go to.”

The rain seemed to patter harder against the cafe windows. Pidge let out a sigh.

“Dreary today.”

“You’re not a fan of the outdoors if I remember,” Shiro quipped. Pidge rolled her eyes.

“I mean, yeah. Doesn’t mean I like being stuck inside all day though. Even hermits need sunlight, Shiro.”

“Fair point.”

And they sat there quietly, watching the rain pour down in heavy droves, the streets filling with rolling seas and bringing new meaning to a concrete ocean. Pidge felt sorry for the business woman who hurried down the block, a newspaper her flimsy shield, cars rolling by and disturbing the crashing waves to sully her black heels. A few horns honking just down the street, out of their sight.

Three phones chimed in unison as a flash flood warning lit up the screens. Pidge snorted.

“Probably skip class today?”

Shiro sighed. He wasn’t the type, as Pidge predicted.

“If there’s no other option.”

And it seemed, for a moment, that this was her Wednesday. Trapped in the confines of a slow cafe day, the weather outside anything but forgiving, her only companions a snarky, yet cool, regular and her cheerful, busy manager.

But then the boy stumbled through the door as brontide rolled far off in the distance. The bell almost seemed hesitant to welcome the new customer; unlike Pidge, who jumped up from her seat to serve him.

He was dragging in water across her freshly mopped linoleum floors. They suffered too much rain damage today.

“Welcome to the Castle of Lions,” Pidge began, eyes not closely inspecting his appearance as she got closer. “What can I--”

“A hot coffee sounds nice. Mocha, maybe?” He cut her off quickly, a tremble in his voice, and Pidge was too surprised to respond immediately.

It was then she noticed the slight pink tinge of the water the boy puddled in. Her eyes widened.

“A-are you okay?”

He was clutching his side. His clothes were soaked through, not just with water but--

“Oh. And can I get that with a side of an ambulance?”

His eyes were dazed and stormy.

Blood dripped against the floor. A dark red contrast to the marbled white.

“Oh my god.”

Shiro had run to her side, yelling for Allura, a sound that seemed too far away and muffled as she stared hard at the boy who disrupted her Wednesday routine. Her calm Wednesday morning. Her expected Wednesday morning.

Dazed, cloudy, stormy blue eyes. An open wound across his brow. A hand holding something out to her.

“K-keep the change.”

A five dollar bill. Her jaw went slack as she looked between him and the bloodied bill, words failing to leave her lips.

And then the boy collapsed.

**Author's Note:**

> :3c guess who's back


End file.
